Tom Denham: May 2011 Archives

Now that college graduations are over, it's time to focus full-time on the job search. Students often ask me, "What do employers want in new hires?" Most companies have a core set of skills and personal characteristics they desire in candidates. Here is my list that can help you move forward with your career development:

Communication Skills
Can you speak clearly and articulately in front of small and large groups? Can you convey your message in writing in a concise and persuasive style?

Work Experience
Do you have relevant experience that they can use? Do you have transferable skills from the various jobs you have held?

Motivation/Initiative
Can you set and obtain goals? Can you meet each day with energy and enthusiasm to accomplish the tasks at hand? Are you excited about the work to be done? Can you think ahead to what needs get done without being asked?

Teamwork
Can you get along easily with diverse types of people to complete a common project successfully? Can you share responsibility and credit for a project?

Leadership Abilities
Can you assess a situation, identify possible options and then implement solutions? Can you easily adapt to changing situations and priorities? Can you lead a work group to meet stated objectives?

GPA/Academic Credentials
Do you have the academic preparation to be successful at the company? For most employers, grades are less important than other qualities.

Technical Skills
What types of computer skills do you bring to the table? Will they need to spend valuable time training you or are you ready to jump in and produce?

Interpersonal Skills
Can you relate well to your co-workers, supervisor and clients? Can you respect, understand and connect to other people's perspectives and opinions?

Analytical Skills
Can think outside the box? Can you evaluate problems based on the facts? Can you handle the numbers aspect of the job?

Ethics
Are you straightforward, honest and truthful at all times? Can you make decisions that are fair and right?

Most companies are consistently looking for strong academic credentials, however, most say they can teach you the specific job. What they really want are the "soft skills" including reliability, dedication, determination, results-orientation and self-awareness. In an interview you will want to demonstrate, by example, that you have developed these qualities. Use the information contained on your resume as a guide to profile your accomplishments.

Whether you need help with your resume, cover letter, interview skills or your job or graduate school search, I invite you to contact me (518-366-8451) for a free 20 minute phone consultation. I look forward to helping you.

If you are a student, you may feel that during the school year you simply don't have time to even think about your future career, let alone do something about it. Although you may be equally busy in the summer, this is a great time to step back and think about your short-term and long-term career plans.

Start by making a list of some reasonable summer goals. What are some of the key factors that you want to have settled by the end of the summer? Commit your ideas to writing and start prioritizing your needs. At the end of the summer, review and assess your new skills, interests and establish more goals for the upcoming academic year. Here are my 10 tips for what you can do this summer to advance your career:

1. Explore Your Options
Try to progress from feeling "clueless", to narrowing down your options to your top ten, and then preferably to your top three to five choices. Start early and investigate what is required to break into those fields including the educational requirements and starting salaries. Your local library might have a career section of directories and other resources. Will you pursue work or graduate school after college? If you are considering graduate school, gather catalogs of schools that interest you, work on your personal statement/essay, study and register for the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT or other appropriate test. Plan some road trips to your top choice schools.

2. Strengthen Your Resume
There is no better time to write your resume than the summer. If you already have a resume, be sure you update it with your new internship or summer job. A strong resume can produce multiple interviews. When you get back to campus in the fall, sit down with a career counselor to have it critiqued and to make sure you are on track.

3. Complete An Internship
Learn as much as you can about your options from doing real world work. Make it meaningful and try to take on as many projects and responsibilities as possible. Employers will expect you to have relevant experience in the form of internships, volunteering, summer or part-time jobs, in addition to strong academic credentials. Plan on finding another internship or volunteer experience for the fall and most certainly for next summer with even more responsibility.

4. Networking, Networking, Networking
Conduct informational interviews and meet people that can help you achieve your goals. Shadow someone in the field for a day or a week to get a taste of the profession. Tap into the networks of your family and friends to develop relationships with professionals and to generate other leads. Listen to what advice they give you on how to prepare for your career and be successful. Since career development is voluntary, take charge and responsibility for the choices and the opportunities available to you. Collect business cards for future reference. Create a Linkedin.com account!!!

5. Buy An Interview Suit
Don't show up to campus in the fall without proper interview attire; get it done during the summer when you have time. For most careers, employers will expect you to dress as a professional.

6. Develop Transferable Skills
Companies can teach you to perform a specific job, and so what they really seek in job candidates are "soft skills." These can be used in almost any career and can include teamwork, problem solving, communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills. Employers expect that you come to the job with motivation, initiative, ethics, and analytical qualities.

7. Obtain Strong References
When you do your full blown job search, an employer will ask you for references to confirm your abilities. Be relationship oriented with your references since you will need them to make a difference in your candidacy. If you apply to graduate school, they may be essential for being accepted. Get recommendations posted on your LinkedIn.com account.

8. Read 3 Career Development Books
During the downtime of the summer, I recommend that you read at least one relevant career book during each of the months of June, July and August. Your career counselor will show you some books to get you started; I might recommend What Color is Your Parachute?, Do What You Are and Sweaty Palms. Read about various industries, employers, and specific job titles. This type of research will be a real investment.

9. Take A Course
A summer class might help you catch up with credits, stay ahead of your course of study or might help you pull up your GPA. A high GPA is not required for all jobs but it does show your hard work and dedication. Learning a new computer application will also look attractive on your resume.

10. Get Advice
Summer is a great time to connect with your campus career counselor by phone or in-person. Let them know how your summer is going, send them your resume for a critique and set a follow-up meeting for the early fall before you both get too busy. Regular contact will shape your decision-making and help you focus on what you want to do after graduation.

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Dr. Thomas J. Denham

Dr. Tom Denham is the founder of Careers In Transition LLC, a private practice which focuses on career counseling for individuals and consulting services for institutional clients. Dr. Tom has over twenty years of career services experience at Siena and Union Colleges as well as Harvard, St. Lawrence and Boston Universities.

Dr. Tom founded Northeast Public Radio's award winning talk show, The Career Forum and speaks extensively on career management
issues. He earned his bachelors from St. Lawrence University,
his masters from Boston University and his doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.

He has climbed over 180 mountains including the Adirondack 46, Oregon's Mt. Hood and The Grand Teton.
In 2009, he survived a huge crevasse fall on Mt. Rainier by ice climbing his way out. Tom lives where he grew up in Albany where he would rather be ice and
rock climbing and raising his 11 year old daughter, Rachel.

Dr. Tom Denham has been a professional career counselor for over 20 years. He helps people explore their options with career testing, make job changes and write
resumes and prepare for interviews.